Exposed
Chapter 6- Downfall
L walked through the city watching as one by one, each person falls to the ground…dead. Horror is evident in his eyes as he watches children bleeding, fathers grabbing their chests in pain and mothers lying on the ground lifeless. He wonders why everyone is dying, why is there so much bloodshed? The streets flow with blood and screams pierce through the city. He looks up into the red sky and sitting on a golden thrown, a young, beautiful brunette is just staring down at him.
"You're next," the boy states.
L shot up in bed. Cold sweat clinging to his chest and face as he listened to his erratic breathing. Raito felt the sudden movement and sat up, his eyes full of concern for his lover. "L? What's wrong?"
"I had a bad dream." Raito wrapped his arms around the detective and gently rubbed his back. L's mind still traveled through that dream, over and over. "You're next." His heart wouldn't stop racing in his chest. His pale lips quivered as he tried to suck in air to breathe. This wasn't the first dream like this L has had. Ever since he found out Raito was truly Kira just one week ago, the dreams started. Or really they were more like night terrors. Each night L would wake up sweaty, and horrified. Was he really next?
"Do you want to talk about it?" Raito asked. L shook his head and pulled away from the teenager next to him. He lay on his side staring out the window.
"You wouldn't kill…children…would you?" The room was silent. L usually avoided the subject with Raito, he hadn't even asked how Raito killed people!
"Children have innocence," Raito stated.
"There have been children who've killed their parents, shot their siblings or friends," L pressed on.
"It's not the child's fault, it's the parent. Raising a child is entirely the parent's job. It's the parent's own fault for allowing themselves to be killed."
"You've many flaws, Kira." The room became tense. L held his breath to see if he could hear anything, any reaction out of Raito.
"So do you, Ryuuzaki." Raito lay down and faced the opposite direction of L. Anger pulsated through his body. How dare L question him like that! In the shadows of the room Ryuk sniggered. He was enjoying the tension between the two.
L sat at the computer, staring. Ever since he found out Raito was Kira the case had become rather boring. He yawned as he lazily pretended to be working. "Ryuuzaki!" Soichiro announced. L spun in his chair to look at the man. "Raito's gone!" L's eyes widened.
"What do you mean…gone?" he asked. Matsuda poked his head up from his work to listen to the conversation.
"I mean this!" Soichiro handed a note to L.
"To anyone who reads this, I've left town and don't plan on coming back. Don't bother looking for me, because all attempts will be proven useless. And L…you were right. I've many flaws, so now…I intend on fixing those flaws and making myself perfect. Thank you for your advice, I'm sorry we didn't work out. I really did like you. Raito." L's other hand clenched into a fist. He knew what Raito meant. Raito was going to expand his judgments! He was going after children now!
"What did you say to my son!?" Soichiro demanded.
L sighed, "It's personal, Yagami-san."
"Because of you my son is gone! I demand to know what you said to him!" Soichiro yelled. L felt all eyes on him. The pressure felt like he was at the bottom of the ocean and all the water was crushing him into nothing.
"I told him…that I didn't like his body. It was personal."
"I'll have you arrested for statutory rape!" Soichiro grabbed L's shirt by the collar and held the detective above the floor. L just looked at Soichiro. Guilt washed over him as he realized that his man knew nothing. He thought his son was perfect in ever way. He didn't know that in fact…his son was a serial murderer. He didn't know his son was Kira.
"We didn't do that. He wanted to but I had said no," L lied. "I've never been in a relationship before and that would have been way to fast for me." Soichiro released his grip on the younger man and breathed in deep.
"We need to look for my son."
"No. I need to look for your son. It was my fault and I intend on setting things right. You all stay here and continue on the case. I'll find Raito-kun." L walked slowly out of the room. No one opposed him…no one said anything. Everyone just…obeyed.
"Raito, you really are a devil, you know that right?" Ryuk asked. Raito was researching children who had murdered their parents, friends or other family members out of rage or on purpose. Those who accidentally found the father's gun were given a second chance.
"L was right. I did have flaws. The children who killed their parents or friends are just like the adult murderers. They deserve death. They won't be allowed to continue on killing when they get older." Ryuk stood watch as Raito wrote down the names of children. Ryuk normally never felt guilt, but he did now. Killing children…it was just wrong.
L had spent a wasted week on trying to find Raito, and all the while children were being judged for crimes they had committed. L was angry with himself. He had run completely out of ideas on finding Raito…except one. This last idea was most drastic and could be fatal to not only L's life, but his reputation. He knew he had to get in contact with Raito somehow. In his lonely room he took a tape recorder, faced it towards him and pressed record. He sat on his bed looking at the camera for a moment, and then he spoke.
"Kira, I am the real L. I've completely lost all clues to you and you already know you've won. A good friend of mine has run away and I believe you're the only connection to why he did. He's a good kid. He always puts the safety of others before him. He's always looking out for his friends and family. Smart...funny." L looked away from the camera and at his shoes. His stomach felt sick. "Please give him back to me. I miss him. He's only a kid and he hasn't done anything wrong! So why are you taking him away from me? Please…just give him back." L got off the bed and pressed stop. He rewound the tape and pressed play. As he watched himself he began to notice things that had changed in his own appearance. His eyes held something. They held some sort or emotion that L had never seen in himself before. His words were spoken not of the great detective L, but as a young man who had lost his lover. His face was etched with fear. He hated himself. He wanted to destroy the tape but at the same time he felt as if he had no choice. This tape, this tape was truly going global. He had to find Raito.
"Ryuuzaki! You're insane!" Soichiro yelled after L announced that he had sent the tape all over the world.
"Crazy in love," L stated. The room went silent. Soichiro's face softened as he walked slowly over to L. He pulled the man into a hug and held him there.
"I shouldn't yell at you anymore. You aren't a child, you know very well of what you're doing."
"I'm going to die soon, Yagami-san," L stated like it really didn't matter. Soichiro's eyes widened. He released the young man from the embrace.
"Why?"
"Because…I'm next. Kira will kill me soon. After the children, he'll kill me too."
"They don't have to launch that tape!" Matsuda cried. "We can stop them! Please Ryuuzaki! We don't want you to die!" Mogi and Aizawa both nodded their heads in agreement. None of them wanted to see L die.
"I've no choice. I said I'd find Raito and I think Kira is the only way to do it."
"Why's this?" Soichiro asked.
"Because Raito wants so badly to capture Kira! And the tape isn't directly for Kira. It's so Raito can see how far I'm willing to go for him just so he'll come back." L slumped to the floor. Raito had taken his entire being out of him. Without Raito…there was no L. And without Kira, there was no Ryuuzaki. They needed each other and at the same time, each needed the other dead. And L was willing to die for Raito.
Televisions around the world were tuned into the responding channels of L's announcement. Families, friends, men, women, boys and girls watched as L exposed himself to the world. As they listened to the words he spoke, fear coursed through them. They all knew it now…Kira was in control. Pity was also brought out of the viewers. They pictured L as being older, stronger, and handsomer. They didn't expect a lanky, quirky man in his twenties. They didn't expect him to be so real. L was pleading for his lost friend to his enemy. They all prayed that night. They prayed that Kira would give L back his friend. L had gained the world's sympathy in one minute.
Raito stared at the television. Was it real? L had admitted defeat! Kira was justice now! But as the words kept coming, and as L's face became more real, more…alive…pain found its way into Raito, and it lodged itself right in his heart. His heart ached for L. He wanted to run home to L and tell him everything would be ok. But Kira wouldn't allow it. Kira started to poison Raito like Venom had poisoned Eddie Brock in Spiderman. Kira had become a person, and Raito had disappeared. He started to laugh a sinister laugh. It grew louder, and louder until tears of joy spilled down his cheeks. Kira had won. Ryuk watched the television exposing the sad, has-been detective. His round eyes looked at Raito. There was no more sign of humanity left in that boy. The Death Note had completely overtaken him. Raito…was gone.
"Do you think he saw it?" Matsuda asked. Soichiro, Aizawa, Mogi and Matsuda were alone in the investigation room. L hadn't come out of his room all day. Ever since last night when the tape was played on televisions everywhere around the world, the investigation room felt different. It was tense. Everyone wanted Raito to come back. For L's sake they needed Raito to come back.
Soichiro sighed, "I hope he did. And I hope he comes home."
"What if he doesn't?" Aizawa asked. All eyes turned their attention to Aizawa. "What if Raito never comes back! L is a mess without him here! I've never seen anyone do something so stupid or so rash before! He just exposed himself on global television! And for what? A teenage kid who doesn't even know the meaning of love!" No one spoke. They all knew Aizawa was speaking the truth. This was the beginning of L's downfall.
L sat on his bed looking out the window as he had done all day. Tears found their ways down his pale cheeks. He felt empty and alone. 'I wish I had never fallen for him. I wish I could have been stronger! Now look at me, I'm all washed up. I have nothing left to live for.' He listened in silence to the gentle ring in his ears as it was the only sound to be heard. He fell back onto the bed and stared at the ceiling. 'I wish he'd kill me.' A knock was heard from the door. L's hopes shot through the roof as he raced to open the door. Soichiro was on the other end. L's hopes fell faster than gravity could pull into the bottom of his heart. "Ryuuzaki, I just wanted to speak with you for a bit." L motioned for the man to come in. He sat on his bed while Soichiro took a seat on a chair in the corner of the room. "It's a little dark in here isn't it?" Soichiro asked.
"I didn't notice the sun had gone down," L stated dryly. Soichiro felt uneasy in the room. He could feel L's pain radiating off him.
"I…I wanted to say that no matter what happens with Raito, I'm not going to blame you. It was his own decision."
"It's my fault."
"No, Ryuuzaki, Raito is his own person. He has his reasons."
"I gave him his reasons though! Don't you get it! I'm the reason why he's gone! It was that stupid dream! That stupid fucking God damn dream!" L threw a pillow at the lamp and watched in anger as it crashed to the floor. Soichiro winced at the sudden burst of anger.
"What dream?"
"I can't tell you." Soichiro sighed. Speaking to L about Raito was an extremely touchy subject.
"What's your next move?" he asked.
"I'm waiting for Kira to finally kill me."
"Listen to yourself Ryuuzaki!" Soichiro was preparing to make a long speech to L but L's quiet voice shattered the thought.
"It's L Lawliet." Soichiro looked at the detective in confusion. "My real name is L Lawliet."
"L Lawliet, you are the greatest detective this world has ever been blessed with. Are you really going to just give up because of a broken heart? People are dying! Children are dying! You are their protector! If you don't do anything Kira will control everything!"
"I don't care anymore." L lay on the bed facing away from Soichiro. The older man began to get tired of L's pouting.
"You're not alone in this! Do you really think I can sit back and watch as my own son gets farther and farther away from me? Look at yourself L! You're just like a child pouting because you didn't get your way! This case is too important for you to just give up on!"
"I want to tell you so badly," L said with a bit of annoyance in his tone.
Soichiro raised one eyebrow. "Tell me what?"
"Something about Raito."
"Then tell me."
"It's not my place. He should be the one to tell you. Yagami-san, I thank you for your dedication and hard work but I don't require anyone's services anymore. I quit. Now just let me die alone."
"That's it L! I've had enough! You are not quitting! If you quit you'll never see Raito again!" L propped himself up on an elbow. Never see Raito again?
"Fine. I don't quit." Soichiro sighed in relief. Finally L was becoming himself again.
"I need someone to help me now. Being god of this world is quite a time consumer," Raito stated as he stretched his fingers. They were aching from all the writing he did that day. Ryuk didn't answer. He was even beginning to fear this new Raito. The old Raito had a heart…and even though to the human world his actions were wrong, his heart was in the right place. Now this one, this new Raito had no heart, he only cared about striking fear into people and killing those who committed crimes. Ryuk didn't even like this new Raito.
"You have plenty of fan sites. Pick someone from one of those?" Ryuk suggested.
"Good idea Ryuk. Here's an apple." Ryuk caught the apple. He wanted to eat it, but at the same time he felt like a dog being rewarded for doing a trick. He didn't want to be Raito's pet. He set the apple down on the floor and sat next to it…just staring at it.
"Not in the mood for apples today?" Raito asked as he googled Kira sites.
"Not today." Raito didn't bother asking Ryuk what was wrong. He had much more important matters at hand.
"Teru Mikami. I like this guy." Raito looked at Mikami's profile for a moment. He seemed like an almost exact match. "Well, I guess we're just going to have to give him an interview." Raito smiled mischievously. Ryuk didn't like the glint of insanity in Raito's eyes. In fact, he almost wished L had defeated Raito.
So...Kira is coming back! YAY...actually I like L better so BOO: ) Review if you'd like this story to continue!